Monday, September 30, 2019

Energy News Digest for September 30, 2019


The Hot Shots edition of the Energy News Digest is available on Facebook, and on Twitter.

To subscribe to the Energy News Digest, email jmyer@masonpud3.org.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS




HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Historic September Snowstorm Hits Montana as Governor Declares ‘Winter Storm Emergency’ (CBS News)

Columbia River Lock Reopens for Barge Traffic as Northwest Wheat Harvest Finishes Up (Northwest Public Radio)

Newport Smelter Clears Hurdle After Appeal of Pend Oreille County Zoning Change Is Denied (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Cascade Natural Gas Seeks to Increase Rates, Boost Revenues (Longview Daily News, WA)

Seattle City Light Unveils Strategy to Handle Expected Surge in Electric Vehicles (GeekWire)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

1.      Columbia River Lock Reopens for Barge Traffic as Northwest Wheat Harvest Finishes Up
2.      Cascade Natural Gas Seeks to Increase Rates, Boost Revenues
3.      Op/Ed: Lower Snake River Dams Help Keep the Lights On
4.      Op/Ed: Stop Taking Hydropower for Granted
5.      City of Los Angeles Drops Suit on Overbilling Debacle at Department of Water & Power
6.      Nuclear Fusion Could Rescue the Planet from Climate Catastrophe
7.      Op/Ed: Utility Companies Should Be More Like Microsoft
8.      Chasing a Memory – In California, Orcas & Salmon Have Become So Scarce People Have Forgotten What Once Was
9.      California Sails Toward Biggest Salmon Harvest in Years
10.   Buoy 10 Coho Continues – Other Columbia Salmon Seasons End
11.   Projects Reopen Habitat for Salmon
12.   Video: Chinook Put on Their Annual Spawning Show at Tumwater Falls Park
13.   California: The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge Shasta Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Would Benefit.
14.   In North Bend, Praise But ‘A Lot of Speculation’ for 5,000 Under Boil-Water Advisory
15.   ‘Flushable’ Wipes Are a Messy, Expensive Environmental Problem
16.   Newport Smelter Clears Hurdle After Appeal of Pend Oreille County Zoning Change Is Denied
17.   Solar Dream at Tacoma’s Jason Lee Middle School Gets $50,000 Boost – More Money Needed
18.   Two New Dams Near the Grand Canyon? Conservation Groups Call the Plan ‘Unconscionable’
19.   ‘No Stopping Solar’: As Trade War Drags On, U.S. Companies Remain Bullish
20.   President’s Windmill Hatred Is a Worry for Booming Industry
21.   Saving Electricity Employs More Floridians Than Alternative Energy
22.   The Fastest Growing Commute Is No Commute at All
23.   Ohio Weighs Opening Highway Corridors to Broadband Projects
24.   Op/Ed: Microsoft’s Misleading Broadband Campaign
25.   Seattle City Light Unveils Strategy to Handle Expected Surge in Electric Vehicles
26.   Fast Charging Electric Vehicle Stations Unveiled at Sea-Tac Airport during Drive Electric Week
27.   Sacramento Municipal Utility District Official Details Electric Vehicle Blockchain Project
28.   Jackson Hole Greenhouse Gas Inventory Released – Thanks Hydropower
29.   EIA Projects Global Energy-Related CO2 Emissions Will Increase Through 2050
30.   315 Billion-Ton Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctica
31.   Hemp Crop Tanks, CBD Producer Sues Hemp Seed Seller for $44 Million
32.   Former King County Official Arrested in Corruption Case
33.   Historic September Snowstorm Hits Montana as Governor Declares ‘Winter Storm Emergency’
34.   Early Snow Hits the Pacific Northwest
35.   First Freeze Arrives Early in Puget Sound Region
36.   Head-On Crash in Potlatch Injures Three, Blocks Highway 101 for Four Hours
37.   Man Charged with Organized Crime in Illegal Kitsap Pot Operation
38.   Lacey Presses Pause on Its Proposal to Park RVs in Hawks Prairie

WORD OF THE DAY

Haiku • \HI-koo\ • noun - An unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively; also: a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference

A jewel of style
Art of evocative prose
The humble haiku

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

1.    Columbia River Lock Reopens for Barge Traffic as Northwest Wheat Harvest Finishes Up (Northwest Public Radio)

2.    Cascade Natural Gas Seeks to Increase Rates, Boost Revenues (Longview Daily News, WA)

3.    Op/Ed: Lower Snake River Dams Help Keep the Lights On (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

4.    Op/Ed: Stop Taking Hydropower for Granted (American Public Power Association)

5.    City of Los Angeles Drops Suit on Overbilling Debacle at Department of Water & Power (Los Angeles Times, CA)

6.    Nuclear Fusion Could Rescue the Planet from Climate Catastrophe (Bloomberg News)

7.    Op/Ed: Utility Companies Should Be More Like Microsoft (Forbes Magazine)

FISH & WILDLIFE


9.    California Sails Toward Biggest Salmon Harvest in Years (Associated Press)

10. Buoy 10 Coho Continues – Other Columbia Salmon Seasons End (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

11. Projects Reopen Habitat for Salmon (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

12. Video: Chinook Put on Their Annual Spawning Show at Tumwater Falls Park (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

“CLEAN UP ON AISLE THREE” – WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

13. California: The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge Shasta Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Would Benefit. (NY Times)

14. In North Bend, Praise But ‘A Lot of Speculation’ for 5,000 Under Boil-Water Advisory (Seattle Times, WA – Paywall Advisory)

15. ‘Flushable’ Wipes Are a Messy, Expensive Environmental Problem (KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA)

RENEWABLE ENERGY & SELF STORAGE

16. Newport Smelter Clears Hurdle After Appeal of Pend Oreille County Zoning Change Is Denied (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

17. Solar Dream at Tacoma’s Jason Lee Middle School Gets $50,000 Boost – More Money Needed (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Paywall Advisory)

18. Two New Dams Near the Grand Canyon? Conservation Groups Call the Plan ‘Unconscionable’ (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2019/09/27/new-grand-canyon-dams-built-phoenix-company-pumped-hydro-storage/3781102002/

19. ‘No Stopping Solar’: As Trade War Drags On, U.S. Companies Remain Bullish (S&P Global)

20. President’s Windmill Hatred Is a Worry for Booming Industry (Associated Press)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

21. Saving Electricity Employs More Floridians Than Alternative Energy (Tampa Bay Times, FL)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

22. The Fastest Growing Commute Is No Commute at All (Washington Post)

23. Ohio Weighs Opening Highway Corridors to Broadband Projects (Associated Press)

24. Op/Ed: Microsoft’s Misleading Broadband Campaign (Billings Gazette, MT)

I SING THE CAR ELECTRIC

25. Seattle City Light Unveils Strategy to Handle Expected Surge in Electric Vehicles (GeekWire)

26. Fast Charging Electric Vehicle Stations Unveiled at Sea-Tac Airport during Drive Electric Week (Capitol Hill Times, Seattle, WA)

27. Sacramento Municipal Utility District Official Details Electric Vehicle Blockchain Project (American Public Power Association)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT


29. EIA Projects Global Energy-Related CO2 Emissions Will Increase Through 2050 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

30. 315 Billion-Ton Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctica (British Broadcasting Corporation)

KILOWATTS FOR CANNABIS

31. Hemp Crop Tanks, CBD Producer Sues Hemp Seed Seller for $44 Million (KGW-TV, Portland, OR)

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

32. Former King County Official Arrested in Corruption Case (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

33. Historic September Snowstorm Hits Montana as Governor Declares ‘Winter Storm Emergency’ (CBS News)

34. Early Snow Hits the Pacific Northwest (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

35. First Freeze Arrives Early in Puget Sound Region (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle, WA)

36. Head-On Crash in Potlatch Injures Three, Blocks Highway 101 for Four Hours (Mason Web TV, Shelton, WA)

37. Man Charged with Organized Crime in Illegal Kitsap Pot Operation (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton – Paywall Advisory)

38. Lacey Presses Pause on Its Proposal to Park RVs in Hawks Prairie (Olympian, WA – Paywall Advisory)

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Elevator Rescue Mars Wenatchee Family’s Bavarian Holiday

Bride & Groom Endure Last-Minute Changes as Winter Storm Hits During Wedding Day on Mt. Spokane

An Airman Was Picking Up an Award for Heroism. But First, He Saved a Baby.

Teenage Girl Reunited with Her Toy Cat – 14 Years After It Went Missing

SONG OF THE DAY

Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero (“Footloose” Soundtrack)

LINKS & PAYWALL ADVISORY

Links in the news digest lead to current stories. Media organizations update their websites regularly, which may result in broken links.